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Star Wars Still Going Strong with New Blu-ray Discs, Games and Toys

By Peter Suciu

'Tis the season of holiday gift guide shows. Summer is ironically the time when various marketing and PR firms gather their upcoming products together to present them to the media. In the past few weeks there have been no shortage of holiday gift ideas.

It is enough to make the hard working members of the media ask, "isn't the economy in recession?" But gift guide shows and summer go together like the 4th of July and fireworks, and while this reporter has seen enough of gifts for "mom" already, Lucasfilm and LucasArts mixed things up for that inner geek in all of us, from aged 8 to 80.

This year all things Star Wars landed in New York City like an Imperial invasion of Hoth, if Hoth melted and was covered in water instead of snow (which New York is thanks to the wettest June on record). So while you might have to wait a little while to get your hands on these, the force was very strong indeed.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

"Continue, these Clone Wars will," is something Yoda might say, or practically anyone in marketing at Lucasfilm. Set between Episode II and Episode III: Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been a hit for Cartoon Network, and the first season box set of the made-for-TV series will arrive this fall on DVD and Blu-ray. Available in a deluxe box set this will include a booklet with artwork, and other factoids from the series.

The battle between the Republic and the separatists will also continue in game form with the latest title, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, which allows you to play as a your favorite Jedi or clone troopers (if you actually can tell the clones apart of course). You'll get to pursue a mysterious bounty hunter named Cad Bane, and battle the all-new Skakoan super villain Kul Teska. Since neither of these baddies was around for Episode III we assume you get to defeat them and send them to Sith hell in the games. But they'll get to live on in action figure form!

And speaking of action figures, LucasArts showcased many other products including the latest action figures that will available later this year. May the force be with you, and may your wallet be afford them all.

The next series of figures invades retailers this August, and include new characters from the Clone Wars series. As they say, collect them all.

An image from the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront Elite Squadrons for the PSP and Nintendo DS. This first-person shooter allows for single-player action, as well as ad hoc multiplayer (16 on the PSP and four on the DS) because clones don't fight alone.

Think you have the powers of the Jedi? This new training toy, The Force Trainer by Uncle Milton, lets you use the power of the mind to move an object. Not quite lifting an X-Wing from the swamp, but it's a start

Aren't you a little short (fat, portly, etc.) to be a stormtrooper? Well, according to Clone Wars, the clone troopers come in all shapes and sizes. And if you won't have the chops to make a custom costume, this Captain Rex Electronic Helmet from Hasbro will get you on your way to uniform uniformity.

It took an army of Imperial workers (and contractors) to build the Death Star, but taking a Venator Class Republic Cruiser is a snap with this LEGO set, available this fall.

A still from the upcoming BluRay of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season One